Wagon-brake.



No. 654,422. Patented luly 24, I900. w. B. STOVER.

WAGON BRAKE (No Model.)

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WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,422, dated July 24, 1900.

Application filed May .28, 1900. Serial No. 17,716. (No model.)

To a. whom it map concern.-

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM B. STOVER, of. South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in VVagon-Brakes,

weight of a person stepping on the brake shoe unless the brake-lever is itself operated.

Another advantage of. the invention is that when the brake is thrown off the parts will be locked, so as to prevent displacement and rattling, which is a common source of annoyance in the ordinary construction of brakes.

The step is attached to the brake-shoe, which is a convenient support for it; but the brake is operated entirely by the brake=lever.

The invention is summarized in the claims hereto appended, and the accompanying drawings illustrate a simple embodiment of the invention.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a wagon with my brake applied thereto, showing the brake locked in open or released position. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts locked in position when the brake is applied. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the brake-lever and its locking mechanism. Fig.4: is a diagrammatic view of these parts, showing the brake-lever in dotted lines locked in position to hold the brake released and in full lines locked in position to "apply the brake;

The brake-shoes A are mounted, as usual, on the cranked ends of a transverse rod B, journaled in suitable bearings attached to the bottom of the'body W and provided with a crank C, the upper end of which is connected by a rod D to the brake lever E, near the lower end thereof, said lever being pivoted on the" wagon-body at F and provided with 3 laterally-projecting tooth e, which is adaptedto engage with'theratchet-teeth of the combined guard and sector G, which is secured to the body in the usual manner, as shown at g. The sector G is curved on an are greater of the tooth a swinging on the center F, as indicated in Fig. 4. Consequently when the'lever E is swung'backward beyond the point indicated at P, Fig. 4, it will pass below the level of the sector G, and in this position. the lever E is moved outward by the action of a spring H, attached'tothe body W, as shown, and in such position forward movement of lever E will be prevented, because the upper edge of tooth 6 will then bind under the sector G, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4, and lock the lever E, and brake-shoe A will be held out of contact with the rear wheel w, and although weight may be then applied to the step a, attached to the shoe, it will not apply the brake.

In Fig. 4 the dotted line q indicates the are through which the upper edge of tooth swings as the lever E is operated. It will be seen that it is of less radius than the .arc of curvature of the sector, and it is evident that as lever E is thrown backward when it reaches the point P the upper edge of the tooth a will pass below the curve of the sector, and spring H' (which continually forces the lever E away from the body) will then throw the upper edge of tooth e under the sector, and the tooth will'come in contact with the under surface of the sector and be firmly held against that surface.

To apply the brake, the leverE is first pulled in toward the body, thereby drawing tooth e from under the sector, and is then thrown ahead, raising the tooth eabove the sector and bringing it in engagement with the teeth thereof successively as the lever is pushed forward.

The spring H continually forces the lever away from the body and against the sector, and its effect will be to keep the lever E locked thereto both when the brake-shoe is thrown out of engagement with the wheel and when it is thrown into engagement therewith.

than that which is struck by the upper edge It is evident that when the brake is thrown off, as indicated in Fig. 1, a person may step freely upon the brake-shoe Without throwing the lever E ahead, as the shoe will be held firmly in its disengaged position whether weight is upon it or not. In this manner a very simple but eifective automatic device for locking the brake either in applied or released position is obtained. c

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new is 1. In a brake mechanism, the combination of the brake-operating lever provided with a tooth swinging on the arc of a circle; and a toothed sector curved on an arc of greater radius than the arc traversed by the tooth; said tooth being adapted to engage the teeth of the sector to lock the lever when the brake is applied, and said tooth swinging under the sector and engaging the under side thereof when the brake is released, to hold the brake in unlocked position.

2. In brake mechanism, vthe combination of'the operating-lever having a tooth; with the curved sector. having teeth with which the lever-tooth engages when the brake is applied, and with the under side of which the said tooth engages when the brake is released, whereby the brake is held in locked or unlocked position, substantially as described.

3. In a brake mechanism, the combination of the operating-lever having a tooth, and a curved sector having teeth with which the lever-tooth engages when the brake is applied, and with the under side of which the,

said tooth engages when the brake is released; with the brake mechanism operated by said lever, and a spring adapted to force the lever laterally toward the sector, substantially as described.

4:. In a brake mechanism for wagons, the combination of the brake-operating lever provided with a tooth swinging on the arc of a circle, and a toothed sector curved on an arc of greater radius than the arc traversed by the tooth, said tooth being adapted to engage the teeth of the sector to lock the lever when the brake is applied and said tooth swinging under the sector and engaging the under side thereof when the brake is released, to hold the brake in unlocked position; with the brake mechanism actuated by said lever and the spring for forcing said lever outward against the sector.

5. In a wagon-brake, the combination of the brake-shoe, the rocking shaft carrying said shoe, the crank-arm on said shaft, the operating-lever, and the rod connecting said crank-arm to said lever, and a tooth on said lever; with the locking-sector curved on an arc of greater radius than the arc traversed by the lever on said tooth and the spring forcing said lever laterally outward against the sector, said tooth engaging the teeth of the sector to lock the lever when the brake is applied and said tooth swinging under the sector and engaging the under side thereof to lock the lever when the brake is released.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. STOVER. In presence of GEORGE F. CoLLMER, J AS. DUSHANE. 

